Nigel Thompson, 44; Sought to Help British Gulf War Veterans
Nigel Thompson, 44, a British Gulf War veteran who believed he contracted a debilitating motor neuron disease from medicine he received during the conflict, died Wednesday at a nursing home in Yeovil, in southern England.
Thompson was one of three British veterans of the U.S.-led 1990-91 war against Iraq who made an appeal to Prime Minister Tony Blair in January 2000 to conduct a public inquiry into the cause of ailments afflicting Gulf War veterans.
Thompson believed his illness was caused by drugs he received in the Persian Gulf as a mechanic with the 848th Naval Air Squadron.
He was discharged because of his illness in 1994 after 21 years of service and ultimately required 24-hour care.
In 1997, he was honored by the Royal British Legion for his work on behalf of veterans and their families.
Of the 40,000 British troops who served during the six-week war, according to the National Gulf War Veterans and Families Assn., about 450 have since died as the result of either suicide or Gulf War Syndrome.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
